Browns Daily Wrap: Campbell and Cameron

On Wednesday’s edition of “Cleveland Browns Daily, Driven by Liberty Ford” co-hosts Vic Carucci and Nathan Zegura articulated their expectations for the Browns as they face their fiercest divisional rival, the Steelers, on Sunday. Mary Kay Cabot, from Cleveland.com, joined Vic and Nathan and reflected on the loss to the Bengals and where she feels the team needs improvement to beat the Steelers.

Solomon Wilcots, who will be on the television call of Sunday’s game for CBS Sports, also spoke with Vic and Nathan and broke down the areas where he feels the Steelers are weak and how the Browns can capitalize. Jamir Howerton, from ClevelandBrowns.com, went inside the locker room with strong safety T.J. Ward, who shed some light on what he is doing during Steelers Week to prepare for the game on Sunday.

We rounded out the show as we regularly do with Je’Rod Cherry, who seemed more optimistic about the Browns and what they need to do against the Steelers, than he was earlier in the week.

Here are some highlights:

Vic Carucci: “I’m at the point where I don’t think the Browns are a playoff team. I think it’s entirely possible, but I think there are more of Jason Campbell’s struggles to come. That makes me question what we can expect for the rest of the season. I do believe the Browns match up better with this Steelers team now than they have in the past. I like the physical nature that this game poses. The defense is strong enough to take Ben (Roethlisberger) game, which has been at a high level, down to a more reasonable level. I think this game will be a starting point for the offense to rekindle to where they were prior to the Cincinnati game. The test for me is going to be whether or not they can overcome the loss to the Bengals, and we will find that out right away.”

Nathan Zegura: “This is a transformative period for the Browns and this game is massive for them and their future in the 2013 season. If the Browns are going to beat the Bengals, Campbell and (Jordon) Cameron are going to need to get on the same page. I think part of the problem is that Cameron is seeing a lack of production with Campbell, but he’s going to need to find a way to get involved. This game is essential to keeping the playoff dream alive. I think that with the weather looking the way that it is, this game could turn in to an old-school, AFC slob fest.”

Solomon Wilcots: “The Browns have the making of a truly great defense. It’s a defense you can build around, and they aren’t going to let the score get away from them. No cornerback is playing better than Joe Haden right now, so defensively the Browns can play with the Steelers. If the other areas don’t let you down, then you can beat them. There is no doubt that the Steelers are on their last leg. Cameron, Gordon, Little and Bess can have a big day (catching) the ball against the Steelers’ defense. They have to have the splash game in the passing realm; spread them out and get them running. They can’t run like they used to. If I’m in a Cleveland Browns uniform, I am so pumped and excited to be going in to Thanksgiving with everything we want right in front of us.”

Je’Rod Cherry: “After watching the coaches’ film, I’m not as down on Campbell as I initially was. Cincinnati did a phenomenal job of bringing guys into the zone coverage. I saw that Gordon was beating his guys and making some plays. The running game, although it is not great, did show some promise at the beginning of the game. You know that the Steelers are going to copy exactly what the Bengals did, so we need to see the Browns establish a run game. Cameron and Campbell need to get on the same page. Jordon hasn’t been that active; he’s been quiet, so there’s a good chance he’ll get his opportunities this game. It’s a matter of getting open and taking advantage of that which will make the difference.”

Mary Kay Cabot: “A lot of quarterbacks start the game slowly. Campbell never had an opportunity to get into that rhythm during the Bengals game. Everyone is throwing him under the bus, but he never had the opportunity to redeem himself. The offense still has good signs of life. They just need to get rolling with Cameron again, and he needs to get back on track with making the big plays. …You can’t say enough about how well the defense played against the Bengals. Ben (Roethlisberger) said today that the Browns’ defense presents him with his biggest and toughest challenge of the year. That’s a bold statement for him to say. The Browns are at home on Sunday and there is something about them playing at home, they are getting very tough on their home field.”

T.J. Ward: “We need to get better. We obviously didn’t have a good game, which happens, but we need to focus on this week and get back on the horse and ride. We are just taking one day at a time and making sure we get a good practice in each day. I’m going to focus on different techniques, getting better breaks in the middle of the field. I took some chances last week, which I normally wouldn’t do. I’m very excited. This is a big game. There’s nothing like playing the Steelers at home in the cold. We all just need to focus on the details and do our own jobs; everything will then take care of itself.”